We did it by the rules. We must stick to them

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David Cameron has been meticulous about the process of going to war. But the dangers lie in what comes next

War, as Carl von Clausewitz said, is the continuation of politics by other means. The Tornados, Typhoons and Tomahawks may already be pounding Tripoli but the political basis of military action was reinforced last night when the House of Commons voted overwhelmingly in favour of intervening in Libya.

It was a debate that showed Parliament at its best, as MPs for once put tribalism to one side to raise serious questions. David Cameron was in no doubt that it was right for Britain to get involved. This country’s Armed Forces had already helped to prevent a “bloody massacre” in Benghazi,